UKULELE FESTIVAL, MOMOSAN AND MARCH OF THE PROTECTORS

Roy Sakuma had a tough early life, as his mother and brother suffered from mental illnesses.  At the age of 16 he dropped out of high school and found a job, eventually becoming a groundskeeper for the Waikiki Department of Parks.  When 18 in 1971 he won the support of his supervisor to work with the Hawaii International Ukulele Club to organize the first ukulele festival at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand.  Of course, it is now the largest ukulele gathering in the world.

In 1985 Sakuma searched for Lyle Ritz of California, who had created two ukulele jazz records around 1960, How About Uke? and 50th State Jazz.  He came to play in 1985, then moved to Hawaii and many times repeated.

In 1994, Sakuma and Grammy Award-winning artist James Ingram happened to be exercising at the University of Hawaii.  He agreed to play at the festival that year, and has become a fixture.

Jake Shimabukuro first appeared in 2001 and Ohta-San in 2006.  Shimabukuro took his first professional lessons from Roy Sakuma Studios, while Ohta-San was Sakuma's first ukulele teacher (to the left).  Here, Herb Ohta in 1973 plays his composition, Song for Anna.



In 2004, Sakuma and his wife Kathy established Ukulele Festival Hawaii to organize the event.  The board included Ohta-san, Sam Kamaka (makes the best ukulele) and Danny Kaleikini, Hawaii's Ambassador of Aloha.



FBI Director, James Comey, gave Sakuma a Community Leadership Award in 2015 for inspiring the FBI and entire community.  His life has been dedicated to the ukulele, Hawaii and Nation.

I've been  regularly finding my way to the Kapiolani Park Bandstand for a very long time time to just be there for this show.  Note that with all the credit Sakuma should be getting, this world class event is only called the Ukulele Festival.

So yesterday I first caught The Bus and found my way to Momosan, by Masaharu Morimoto.  Another great lunch of pork ramen and a beef bowl with kim chee and icy Kirin:

During my entire meal, protectors (don't call them protesters, please) were walking up Kalakaua Avenue in the Diamond Head direction in an impromptu rally against TMT on Mauna Kea.  Large pick-up trucks blasting horns and noisy motorcycles accompanied the group.  There must have been a couple of thousand people.

After lunch, on the way to the bandstand, I walked by the corner of Kapahulu and Kalakaua adjacent to the Zoo and was impressed with how organized they were.  Not angry at all.  Listening in a circle.  Just concerned and wanting to gain attention for their mission, which, I guess, is to stop the building of another telescope on their sacred mountain.


Frankly, I think it would be a heck of a lot more productive if they found a cause to promote something good instead of again preventing something from happening.  After going around the world a few times, I'm distressed that while amazing progress is surging in parts of the globe, Hawaii is in this self-imposed rut.




On to the Sunday art fence next to the Zoo, which seems to be declining.  There is a lack of energy and no one is buying anything.





Then to the 49th Ukulele Festival.  The crowd was said to be close to 10,000 by a TV station. Well, maybe, over time, for the whole day.




Unless you brought your own chair, there was no place to sit, so I just walked around.  There was a higher sense of excitement at that protectionist rally.

Then, Roy Sakuma took to the mike to thank the crowd.  He awarded a ukulele to a lucky individual.

This seven-year old was called to the stage.  Someday, perhaps, this piece of good fortune might produce another Jake Shimabukuro.  He had the right color shirt for his new uke.

My wife passed on to me a Kamaka ukulele.  They now cost around $500.  Out of curiosity, I typed into my computer, who makes the best ukuleles?  Kamaka did not make the top 15, with Kala of California as #1.  But  that list was more for who makes the best affordable ukuleles for beginners.

More photos:

Wow, $2000.  However, each of these Rainbow ukuleles from a subsidiary of Mahalo costs $35:

I picked one up and strummed it.  Good enough for me.  I then walked backstage:

The Bandstand, of course, is at the foot of Diamond Head:

As some might feel that those portable outhouses spoil the ambiance of the scene, I close with:

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